Tag Archives: Finance

Law Firms Plays Key Role In Green Deal

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The UK Top 100 firm [Ward Hadaway] has advised renewable energy company JFS & Associates on the latest in its series of joint ventures with farmers to install and build anaerobic digestion (AD) plants to generate green energy.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

The plant being built at Howla Hay Farm will be capable of generating 250kWh of electricity enough to power 250 homes.

Matthew Flint, director at JFS & Associates, which is based in Stokesley, North Yorkshire, said: “It is great news to be able to announce the second in what we aim to be a whole series of these developments which provide a win-win for both parties in the joint venture.

“The farmer gets to share in the proceeds of the electricity generated opening up a new revenue stream as well as getting the benefit of the by-products of the process, such as heat and bio-fertiliser to further improve the profitability of their existing business.

“We get a readily available source of feedstock for the AD plants and, by using our expertise and experience in the renewable energy sector, we can generate and sell electricity to feed back into the National Grid.”

See on www.power-eng.com

SolarReserve Completes Molten Salt Receiver Panel Assembly on Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Plant Tower

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SolarReserve, a U.S. developer of large-scale solar power projects, today announced completion of the assembly of the molten salt receiver panels that sits on top of the 540 foot solar power tower for its 110 megawatt (MW) Crescent Dunes Solar…

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

The project will utilize technology […] to capture and store the sun’s energy in order to deliver a firm electricity supply to Nevada, day or night, without the need to burn fossil fuels. The molten salt “receiver” is actually comprised of panels formed by hundreds of special alloy tubes which will be flowing with molten salt for energy absorption and storage. Once complete, the project will be capable of storing 10 hours of full load electricity production, enough to power 75,000 homes at peak electric demand periods, even after dark.

The project closed financing and initiated construction in September of 2011 and is scheduled to complete construction and start plant commissioning at the end of 2013, including first electricity production by the end of the year. The Crescent Dunes project has secured a 25-year power purchase agreement with NV Energy to sell 100 percent of the electricity output of the facility to serve homes across Nevada.  […]

“The energy storage capability of this technology solves the problem of intermittency typical of other renewable energy sources. Additionally, because of it high efficiency, this technology can generate almost twice as much energy as a comparably sized solar facility, including facilities powered by photovoltaic panels or by a direct steam tower.” said Kevin Smith, CEO of SolarReserve.

See on www.azocleantech.com

Neodymium and Thorium

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Thorium is cheaper than uranium and would allow the USA to manufacture neodymium magnets within the US and brake [sic] China’s grip on the neodymium magnet and ele…

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

Wind and Neodymium

Jack Lifton’s research on mineral resources make him an important figure in projecting the future of energy. Lifton spotted the Lemhi Pass thorium reserve discoveries early on, Lifton has recently focused on world rare earth production, and as Lifton has pointed out, rare earths will play important roles in the future of energy. Lifton pointed out the importance of the rare earth element neodymium for the wind generation industry.

There’s another rare earth metal that’s critically important to our society—neodymium. In 1984, General Motors and Sumitomo developed the neodymium iron boron alloy for permanent magnets, which is the basis of all modern electric motors because it allows you to make a very small electric motor with the highest possible power density. Neodymium total world production is less than 20,000 tons. That may sound like a lot to you, but it’s tiny. And the fact is it’s recently been projected that a single wind turbine electric generator producing 1 megawatt of electricity requires one ton of neodymium.

http://bit.ly/10w37hB

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The liquid fluoride thorium reactor (acronym LFTR; spoken as lifter) is a thermal breeder reactor that uses the thorium fuel cycle in a fluoride-based molten (liquid) salt fuel to achieve high operating temperatures at atmospheric pressure.

The LFTR is a type of thorium molten salt reactor (TMSR). […]

In a LFTR, thorium and uranium-233 are dissolved in carrier salts, forming a liquid fuel. Typical operation sees the liquid fuel salt being pumped between a critical core and an external heat exchanger, where the heat is transferred to a nonradioactive secondary salt, that then transfers its heat again to a steam turbine or closed-cycle gas turbine.[2]

This technology was first investigated at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment in the 1960s. It has recently been the subject of a renewed interest worldwide.[3] Japan, China, the UK, as well as private US, Czech and Australian companies have expressed intent to develop and commercialize the technology.

http://bit.ly/XoTEMt

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Imagining the Supergrid: HVDC Loops for High Penetration of Renewable Energy | The Energy Collective

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The piecemeal way that the grid is being reinforced today is not compatible with a future supergrid incorporating renewable energy sources. This post examines an alternative layout for new HVDC connections for a future supergrid.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

The case for a supergrid is very sensibly made by several organizations, …

GW must be transmitted thousands of km) so that the aggregate reliability of wind and solar are greatly improved, because generators in different weather regions can share capacity.

Since weather systems are typically ~ 2500 km (~1500 miles) across, the supergrid does not begin to fulfill its potential until it is quite large, after many billions of dollars have been invested.

This factor is very much holding up practical movement towards a supergrid, and what we are currently getting instead is a patchwork of transmission upgrades that are economically inefficient point-to-point connections that will not later fit in as components of a future supergrid. …

See on theenergycollective.com

Waste Heat to Energy Firm to Buy Landfill for $9m – Waste Management World

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Largo, Florida based GDT Tek, a specialist in the use of the use of the Organic Rankin Cycle principal to generate electricity has entered into an agreement in principal to purchase 100% of a landfill gas to energy company.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

According to the company its system has been proven through a long-term five year installation at a San Jose, California landfill, where waste heat captured from the generator’s engine exhaust and cooling systems is used to generate electricity which is then sold to the grid.

“This acquisition once completed will allow GDT Tek to install our Phoenix units at the landfill location and increase revenue by up to 20%,” explained Bo Linton, President of GDT Tek.

See on www.waste-management-world.com

Recycling makes $en$e – Waste Management World

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For an increasing number of municipalities across Pennsylvania, recycling is as good for the pocketbook as it is for the environment.  That’s been the case in Cranberry, where modern collection methods and recycling programs have lowered collection fees for residents.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

By limiting how much goes into landfills and boosting totals of recycled goods, municipalities such as Cranberry have become eligible for state grants – either to operate recycling programs or to expand existing ones.

The amount of waste the municipality sends to landfills was 7,619 tons last year, compared with 11,030 tons in 2004. The average amount recycled per person was 670 pounds last year, up from 115 pounds in 2004.

See on www.waste-management-world.com

Altairnano Lithium Titanate Energy Storage System Commissioned at Vestas Wind Farm

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Altair Nanotechnologies, Inc. has commissioned a 1.2 megawatt ALTI-ESS lithium-titanate battery system at a Danish wind farm supplied by Vestas Wind Systems A/S , a global leader in wind power. The demonstration …

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

For Altairnano, entering Vestas’ demonstration program is an opportunity to spotlight its energy storage solutions and demonstrate the ALTI-ESS’s superior power, cycle life, and system performance. Altairnano recognizes the global importance of renewable energy and the value that advanced energy storage can supply to companies like Vestas.

“Lithium titanate-based energy storage can contribute significantly to the integration of wind power, especially in the area of power system stabilization,” said Alexander Lee, chief executive officer of Altairnano. “We are confident that our work with Vestas will further validate the benefits of energy storage for wind power operators and utilities.”

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The Most Important Man in Energy Storage? Try Archimedes – Forbes

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A growing number of energy storage start-ups are promoting the idea that the most economical, most expedient ways to store power revolves around harnessing the four elements of the ancient world: earth, air, water and fire.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

Energy Cache, for instance, is developing a system that resembles a ski lift for gravel. Gravel is ferried uphill during the day by a series of buckets, and then dropped during peak power hours. The system essentially provides the drop in elevation nature left out.

An Energy Cache system could be erected at a large number of abandoned mining sites, where there is plenty of gravel and an existing grid connection,  […] Along with the physics, the company is analyzing algorithms to ensure smooth power deliver on demand for the power grid. …

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New Zero-Down, No-Risk Energy Efficiency Investment Fund Aims To Unlock $150 Billion In Savings

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Double your money, create more than 1 million jobs and make a big dent in US carbon and greenhouse gas emissions – that’s what could be realized if the US were to double energy productivity by 2030, according to the Alliance Commission on National…

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

Looking to spur energy-efficiency gains across the US, CalCEF and Metrus Energy on March 13 launched a new financial intermediary service that could unlock the doors to a projected $150 billion in energy-efficiency savings by providing “otherwise hard-to-get financing for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).”

Added CalCEF managing director Paul Frankel:  “The Efficiency Resource Fund is a trail-blazing investment vehicle that taps a massive, underserved market opportunity.  We’re enabling a whole class of projects that would otherwise not be completed, while at the same time delivering not just savings for customers but also attractive returns for impact investors and generating capacity for utilities.”

See on cleantechnica.com